Spurs’ striker coach Les Ferdinand denies that Tottenham desperately need a new forward – arguing that the problem has been a lack of continuity, not quality.

Ferdinand scored 39 goals in 149 games for the Lilywhites between 1997 and 2003, and is now a member of Harry Redknapp’s coaching team.

While the 44-year-old concedes that Spurs’ front men misfired last season, he refutes the suggestion that Tottenham’s hopes of a top-four finish in 2011/12 rely on a new signing up front.

“We’re always on the lookout for good players. Harry has said that we’re in the market for a striker but I still think the strikers we have got are quality,” he said.

“Yes we have had a bad season in that respect, but for most of the season we have only played with one striker up front and [Rafael] van der Vaart.

“Sometimes you need a little bit of continuity and we’ve not really had that within the strike force. Jermain [Defoe] was injured for a long time and never really found his form when he came back.

“Then Harry had a problem with Peter [Crouch] and Pav [Pavlyuchenko] in deciding which one would be better to play alongside Rafa. It was a bit different to the season before and we will address that.”

Spurs’ failure to finish in the top four means they are contemplating the Europa League next season, and Ferdinand is focusing on the positives – particularly the playing time that the club’s youngsters will be given.

“If you look at some of the other teams that were in the Europa League last season, they played some of the younger players,” he said.

“Look at Liverpool. Towards the end of their campaign they played three or four youngsters who had started in that competition.

“It has put those players in good stead for next season because it looks like they will be in and around the first-team squad.

“I think it will help players like Danny Rose. At one stage it looked like he wasn’t going to get a game last season. He then came in at the back end of the season and Harry kept him in the side – there’s a lot to be said for that.”